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VP hopefuls Joe Biden and Sarah Palin shake hands following a vice presidential debate at Washington University in St. Louis Thursday.
AP Photo

But Biden also had the evening’s most powerful emotional moment, when he responded to an exchange about how well the candidates relate to the struggles of ordinary Americans by recalling his first wife and daughter — killed in an automobile accident shortly after his election to the Senate in 1972.

Biden seemingly choked up as he said: “Look, I understand what it's like to be a single parent. When my wife and daughter died and my two sons were gravely injured, I understand what it's like as a parent to wonder what it's like if your kid's going to make it.”

But the past couple of weeks have offered little evidence that political theatrics — so important in many elections — are what most voters are looking for in the current circumstances, with an economy on the brink and a global financial crisis threatening to push it over.

The debate did nothing to arrest — and may even have helped cement — a gradual but unmistakable turnabout in the race, with Barack Obama gaining in polls and momentum and McCain losing ground in must-win states. The financial meltdown has put a new premium on competence, and Palin did nothing to show she is ready to be in charge.

After Obama wrapped up the Democratic nomination in June, the Republican knock against him was supposed to be that he was too exotic and too risky.

But in the months since, Obama chose a Washington fixture in Biden, and McCain chose a little-known and little-tested maverick from Alaska. McCain suspended his campaign and elbowed his way into sensitive financial bailout talks, with little to show for his efforts, while Obama kept his distance and made a show of consulting with Robert Rubin and Warren Buffett. Obama and Biden both offered somewhat subdued debate performances that showed technical command of policies.

In many ways, Obama-Biden has taken ownership of the play-it-safe vote, and McCain-Palin have become the more unpredictable and potentially risky choice.

The Obama campaign got a good laugh out of her answer about when nuclear weapons should be put into play: "Nuclear weaponry, of course, would be the be-all, end-all of just too many people in too many parts of our planet, so those dangerous regimes, again, cannot be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons, period."

The "be-all, end-all" is already a punch line around Washington.

Asked about the role of the vice president, Biden was comfortable, after discussing the issue with the boss, to say: "I would be the point person for the legislative initiatives in the United States Congress for our administration."

Palin's answer was more abstract and obscure: "We have a lot of flexibility in there, and we'll do what we have to do to administer very appropriately the plans that are needed for this nation."

And she had at least a couple of harp-seal-on-the-ice moments, as when she wandered into this sentence when trying to rebut a point Biden had made on energy: “That is not so, but because that's just a quick answer, I want to talk about, again, my record on energy — your ticket's energy ticket also. I think that this is important to come back to, with that energy policy plan, again, that was voted for in '05.”

But if there were some moments that seemed ripe for mockery, there were also many that showed Palin’s skill in taking debates out of the realm of Washington arcana and to a kitchen-table vernacular.

Sometimes that vernacular came with a sharp edge, as when she lectured Biden, “Your plan is a white flag of surrender in Iraq, and that is not what our troops need to hear today, that’s for sure.”

She was more folksy when she talked about taxes, and even seemed to be channeling Ronald Reagan, the supreme example of a politician who connected to voters even while making Washington elites cringe with his shaky grasp of policy detail.

“Now you said recently that higher taxes or asking for higher taxes or paying higher taxes is patriotic,” she told Biden. “In the middle class of America, which is where Todd and I have been all of our lives, that's not patriotic. Patriotic is saying, 'Government, you know, you're not always the solution. In fact, too often you're the problem so, government, lessen the tax burden and on our families and get out of the way and let the private sector and our families grow and thrive and prosper.'”

If Palin had cleared the expectations who were rooting for or praying to avoid a nationally televised splat, Obama campaign manager David Plouffe said she had met his team’s expectations almost exactly.

“We’ve said all along that she’s a very talented politician; she proved that again tonight,” said Plouffe. “But she’s selling a failed product.”

I look at all debates objectively. The bar was set so low for Palin that barring her running off the stages in complete horror, she got a passing grade. Thats not saying much. Now when we get to substance which has always been her biggest problem, Biden kicked her teeth in cause she doesn't know as much as he does. Point Blank. Biden did what he was suppose to do. Get his message out there of Change and pass the Commander and Cheif test. He did that. Biden has ran from President so everyone knows he's ready on day one. Palin showed up and didnt completely fail at the debate. If thats what you call a win then your standard for a person running for VP is pretty low. She is clueless and that hockey mom garbage is not going to win you votes on stubstance. Biden clearly stumped her guts out. This will do nothing to sway voters to McCain. She hasn't proved anything.

Out of touch, that is the only way I can decribe Sarah Palin?s performance tonight. This whole campaign strategy is flawed, and over emphad on taxes and bad gov as if its 1980. Sarah Palin did not screw up as I expected she would not, how could she when she rehearsed and nearly scripted her way through the whole debate. Its easy to show your true unfilterd self in a causal interview with a TV anchor I would say. But her not making a fool of herself is not reason enough, to think this was any way a success for the McCain camp tonight. Biden trounced every position McCain ticket holds and made a real case for the change his ticket brings. Sarah Palin on the other hand was off topic, unprofessional, and clearly not ready for any discussion Biden attacked her on. Unless the McCain camp figures out some new strategy other then going after the senior citizen vote of the Reagan era, this election is Won by Barack Obama!

Sarah Palin is like wrasslin. Its pure entertainment, no substance. This eye candy is going to disappear soon and Mitt the shark and Bobby Jindal will finish her political career in 2012. Its over folks. The ride was nice for a while

While you two guys were getting a boner for Biden, did you happen to notice how many times he LIED while spitting out those "facts" that you seem to be so impressed with? Palin won the debate. She came across as "one of the middle class"...which is appalling to those of you so intertwined with the DC culture and are just used to "talking" about the middle class and using it for political purposes, as opposed to actually being part of it. No one expect Palin to spit out senate voting records...unfortunately, Biden felt the need to and it about put me to sleep. Even then, like I said, he got it WRONG. He seems like a nice enough guy...definitely should be at the top of the Dem ticket over Obama, but Palin won the debate, if not the Jeopardy episode some would like for it to have been. I'm extremely comfortable with Palin being a heartbeat away from the Presidency...what makes me lose sleep at night is having Nancy Pelosi only two heartbeats away.

The debate resulted in a gentleman's tie. Palin was coached and stuck to her talking points. I'm not overly impressed with Palin. With that said, I'm voting for Mccain. I just hope he lives to be as old as his mother, or it least 80 or 81.....

Palin's bogus Sudan claim: She was asked (by Sens Brownback and Durbin) to divest from Sudan while she was still governor-elect. It took 16 months for her support the legislation. http://swingstateofmind.com/?p...

Obama is about to expand his electoral lead to an insurmountable margin. The decision by McCain to pull out of Michigan is just the latest sign that he is doing nothing more than trying to avert a landslide.

It wouldnt matter if Biden pulled out a gun and shot himself in the head, the corrupt liberal media would still say Biden won this debate.

The bottom line is they had a focus group of undecided and a HUGE overwhelming majority were swayed by Palin.

They thought she won hands down. She appealed to the american public far better than Biden.

Doesnt matter. By tomorrow the CORRUPT LIBERAL MEDIA will have SPUN IT where Biden won.

Obama wins, biden wins, Obama wins Biden wins.................

Chit, they might as well start SPINNING before the debate begins. It will be the same rhetoric anyways.

If anyone wonders why the country is in such trouble, take a look at what LENGTHS people will do to get their way at other peoples expense. The media in this cycle is SO CORRUPT that there is no real media anymore.

For you folks out there who thought Sarah won the debate...well I don't know which debate you were watching, or even what you were looking for. If was substance she had none-failed...Knowledge she failed...the ability to ignore a question she didn't have the answer for she succeeded...winks and non-sense she succeeded. If you can honestly say you would feel safe with this woman in charge of this country(not Alaska) with all these problems, well God bless you. As for me, I'll take someone who is serious about the challenges we face in this country! I don't want a Maverick or His Jack-ass leading me over the cliff.